Tobacco stripping machine



E. L. KREBS TOBACCO STRIPPING MACHINE Sept. 20, 1955 2,718,230

6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25 1955 fl w/Away Sept. 20, 1955 E. L. KREBs TOBACCO STRIPPING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23 1953 E f Jamil. fi'res BY g f:

Sept. 20, 1955 E. L. KREBS 2,718,230

TOBACCO STRIPPING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 20, 1955 E. L. KREBS 2,718,230

TOBACCO STRIPPING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 20, 1955 E. L. KREBS 2,718,230

TOBACCO STRIPPING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23, 1953 6 SheetsSheet 5 p 20, 1955 E. L. KREBS 2,718,230

TOBACCO STRIPPING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR F I 20 EDWARD KREBS BY AM I ATTORNEY Unite States Patent TGBACCO STPING MACHINE Edward L. Krebs, Sparta, N. J.

Application January 23, 1953, Serial No. 332,956

3 Claims. (Cl. 131125) This invention relates in general to machines for removing the stems in whole or partly from tobacco leaves, and a prime object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved cutting mechanism which shall cut the leaf close to the stern throughout the length of the cut so that the cuts shall conform to the tapered contour of the stem thereby to effect a substantial reduction of the waste leaf.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a tobacco stripping machine of this character, a novel and improved cutting mechanism by which the leaf shall be cleanly cut transversely of the stem along an arcuate line so that the transverse cut shall be a direct continuation of the longitudinal cuts along the sides of the leaf stem, thereby to reduce the tendency to tearing of the leaf at the ends of the longitudinal cuts during handling thereof after the cutting operation.

A further object is to provide in such a machine novel and improved means for ejecting the leaf stems after they have been cut from the leaves.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The machine is of the general type shown in the Jackson Patent No. 1,366,386 of January 25, 1921, and the Deiller et a1. Patent No. 985,984 of March 7, 1911, the machine of the invention differing from those patented machines primarily in the leaf cutting mechanism and the means for ejecting the stems. Therefore, only so much of the machine as is necessary to an understanding of the novel cutting mechanism and the novel stem ejecting mechanism is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic front elevational view of the upper portion of the machine embodying the invention, with portions of the starting and automatic stop mechanism omitted,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse vertical sectional views approximately on the planes of the respective lines 3-3 and 44 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a similar view on the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 1, showing the drum in a position at the beginning of the leaf stripping operation,

Figure 6 is a like view showing the drum in a position near the end of the leaf stripping operation,

Figure 7 is a rear elevational view of the machine, with the starting and automatic stop mechanism omitted for clearness of illustration,

Figure 8 is a composite front elevational view and longitudinal vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 8-8 of Figure 3,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 9-9 of Figure 5,

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view through the terminal end of the 2,718,230 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 ICC stripping knife and the presser roller cooperating therewith,

Figure 11 is a plan view of a stripped leaf,

Figure 12 is a composite perspective view of a leaf and its stem, a greater portion of which has been removed from the leaf than that illustrated in Figure 11,

Figure 13 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 1313 of Figure 10,

Figure 14 is a similar view showing the engagement of the presser roller with the cutting knife at a position intermediate the length of the knife,

Figure 15 is a fragmentary plan view of the terminal end of the leaf cutting knife showing the portion thereof for transversely severing the stem from the leaf,

Figure 16 is a perspective view of a pile of booked leaves,

Figure 17 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view through a modified form of the presser roller and the cooperating portion of the leaf cutting knife,

Figure 18 is a transverse vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 1818 of Figure 17,

Figure 19 is a perspective view of a portion of the cutter and a leaf showing the manner in which the stem is cut from the leaf by the knife edges of the cutter, and

Figure 20 is a schematic side elevational view of the machine showing particularly the starting and automatic stop mechanism.

As hereinbefore indicated, the machine in general is similar to the machines shown in Patents Nos. 1,366,386 and 985,984 and comprises a frame including side pieces A upon which a transverse shaft 1 is journaled in suitable bearings 2. This shaft carries two sections 3 and 4 of a booking drum upon which the tobacco leaves are booked after being stripped.

The machine also includes endless belts 5 and 6 which pass over the drum sections 3 and 4 and over rollers 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 journaled in suitable bearings upon the side pieces A of the frame and whereby the booked leaves are held upon the booking drum in a way well known in the art. Preferably one of the rollers, in the present instance the roller 12, is a belt tightener, being mounted on levers 13 that are pivotally connected at 14 to the side pieces of the frame and have counter-weights 15 adjustably hung thereon. Each of two of the rollers 8 and 9 is formed of two sections with a space between them for the passage of a leaf stem during feeding of the leaf to the cutting mechanism, and the booking belts run around each of said rollers and on to the drum, an apron C being disposed between the rollers for guiding a leaf onto the drum.

As is common in the art, the apron C and the roller 8 are mounted on an auxiliary frame comprising arms D that are pivotally mounted on the side pieces of the main frame and connected to a suitable hand lever operating mechanism G so that the apron and roller 8 may be swung away from the drum to provide free access to the completed books of tobacco leaves when it is desired to remove the books.

It will be understood that other usual and necessary features of a machine of this type are contemplated but form no part of the present invention and are therefore not shown.

The driving mechanism for the machine may constitute any suitable arrangement of parts but preferably will include a main drive shaft 16 on which will be mounted a drive pinion 16a which meshes with a gear 17 keyed on the shaft 1. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, a cam disc 18 to be more fully described hereinafter, is mounted on the shaft 1 for rotation relative thereto and is rigidly connected as by a pin 19 to the end wall of one of the drum sections; and a crank arm 20 is keyed on the shaft 1 (Figs. 2 and 4) and carries a set screw or other suitable pin 21 that may be fitted into any one of an arcuate series of holes 22 in the cam. With this construction, the drum will be driven through the gear 17, shaft 1, crank arm 20, pin 21, cam 18, and pin 19, the drum section 4 being rigidly connected to the drum section 3 with a cutter B between them as will be hereinafter described. Preferably the roller 8 will be driven by a chain and sprocket connection 23 with the main drive shaft 16 for driving the belts inde pendently of the drum drive.

Also, there will be, for example, a clutch mechanism and treadles for controlling the application of power to the machine, in combination with suitable mechanism to automatically stop the machine at given intervals, for example once during each complete revolution of the drum as shown for example in the Jackson Patent No. 1,366,386 and the Deiller Patent No. 985,984. In Figure 20 of the drawing this stop mechanism is shown as comprising a normally spring-engaged clutch like Deillers and means for automatically disengaging it including an arm 60 secured upon the shaft 1 so as to project laterally therefrom and carrying a rigid lug or pin 61 at its free end. It is desirable that this arm 60 and its pin 61 bear a certain relation to the arcuate cutting edge 26, and said arm is therefore preferably adjustably mounted upon the shaft 1, for example by a split hub, lugs 62 and a bolt 63. The mechanism further includes a lever 64 pivoted at 65 upon the frame of the machine and adapted to swing vertically between stationary stops 66 and 67; the lever 64 being pivotally connected at 68 with one end of a connecting rod 69 the other end of which is pivotally connected at 70 with one arm of a bell crank lever 71. The latter is pivoted upon a bracket 72 on the machine frame and has .its other arm projecting upwardly into the recess of a hook 73 operatively combined through link 85a with the lever 85 that operates one element 86 of a clutch which is loosely mounted on the drive shaft 16 in the usual manner to cooperate with the other clutch element that is in the form of a pulley 87, said lever 85 being pivotally mounted at 86a on the machine frame and operatively connected by means of a link 88 with a suitable foot treadle 89. As shown in Figure 20 the lever 64 is formed with a slideway 74 in which a plunger 75 is slidably mounted, said plunger normally projecting outwardly beyond said lever 64 into the path of the pin 61 of the arm 60 as the latter rotates with the shaft 1 and cutter. The inner end of the plunger 75 carries a pin 76 which extends into a slot 77 formed at one end of a lever 78 pivoted at 79 upon the machine frame, the opposite end of the lever 78 being connected with one end of a spring 80 which has its other end fastened to an ear 81 located on the machine frame. As will be apparent the spring 80 through the medium of the lever 78 serves to maintain the plunger 75 in and return it to its normal outwardly projecting position. The pin 79 is in the nature of a pin fixed to the lever 78 and projects through its bearing in the frame where it carries a fixed arm 82 which is operatively connected by means of a connecting link 83 with a treadle 84 pivoted at the bottom portion of the frame.

In practice, the parts are so adjusted that in the position of the rest of the machine the leading or wider spaced ends a of the peripheral cutting edges are located in a predetermined relation to the feeding roller 9. At the same time the arm 60 is so positioned on the shaft 1 that it is free with the pin 61 at the required distance from the ends a in a circumferential direction to bring the machine to a stop at the proper point each time for the insertion of successive leaves of tobacco.

One important feature of the present invention relates primarily to the stripping mechanism which is shown as including the cutter B that is shown as annular in form and has two arcuate knife edges 24 that extend throughout a portion of the circumference of the annular cutter and are arranged in converging relation to each other circumferentially of the cutter from points a to points b and form a groove 25 between them to receive the stem of a leaf. The edges 24 are spaced apart at the points a a distance about equal to the width of the butt end of the largest leaf stem to be stripped and the converging or tapering relation of the edges to each other conforms to the taper of the leaf stem. The groove 25 is of a depth about equal to or somewhat greater than the thickness of the leaf stem. At the points b the edges 24 are joined by an arcuate cutting edge 26, the ends of which directly merge into or meet the edges 24 so that the arcuate cutting edge 26 is a perfect continuation of the edges 24 and extends transversely of a leaf stem when the latter is arranged in the groove 25 between the opposite ends of the cutting edges. The annular cutter B is formed with a circumferential groove 27 of a width and depth to receive the smaller end portions of the stems c of several leaves E during the booking of the leaves on the drum, as best shown in Figure 13.

Preferably the cutter is formed of two complemental semi-circular sections 28 and 29 that are secured in complemental operative relation to each other between the two sections 3 and 4 of the booking drum, the semicircular sections being applied from opposite sides of the shaft 1 of the drum to bring their ends into abutting relation as best shown in Figure 5. The cutter may be connected to the drum in any suitable manner, but as shown, the drum sections have the respective end plates and 31 disposed in spaced relation to each other, one of which has a boss 32 thereon providing a seat for centering the cutter sections 28 and 29, and bolts 33 pass through registering openings in the end plates 30 and 31 and the cutter sections 28 and 29.

Cooperating with the knife edges 24 and 26 of the cutter is a presser roller 34 that is journaled between the arms of a yoke which is pivotally mounted on a pivot 36 on the frame of the machine. The length of the roller 34 is greater than the distance between the knife edges 24 (see Figures 9 and 14) and the roller is urged toward the knife edges by a tension spring 37, one end of which is connected to the frame while the other end is connected to one end of a lever arm 38, the other end of which is rigidly connected to a yoke 35. An adjustable stop screw 39 is mounted on the frame to be abutted by the lever arm 38 so as to seat the roller 34 in proper relation to the knife edges so that when no leaf is in the machine, the roller 34 will press against said knife edges.

In operation of the machine, the drum will normally be stopped by the automatic control mechanism with the leading ends a of the knife edges in proper relation to the apron C so that the butt end of a leaf to be stripped may he slipped into the groove 25 between the knife edges with the portions of the leaf at opposite sides of the stem between the drum and the upper feed roller 9 and the belts therearound. The machine is then started in operation by the control mechanism which, as above described, may include starting levers such as treadle 89 and clutch 86, 87 of the type shown in either of the aforesaid patents, and a leaf is fed into the machine with the butt end of its stem in the groove 25 between the knife edges. The leaf is carried by the drum and cutter beneath the roller 34 which, being spring pressed toward the knife edges, will cause the leaf to be cut closely along the sides of the stem by the cutting edges 24 and transversely of the stem by the arcuate knife edge 26 so as to leave a slot in the leaf (see Fig. 11) the longitudinal sides of which were formed by the cutting edges 24 while the arcuate end 41 was formed by the cutting edge 26. This arcuate end of the slot is a smooth continuation of the side edges of the slot so that there is no nicking or slitting of the portions of the leaf at opposite sides of the stem at the inner end 41 of the slot whereby there is a minimum tendency to tearing of the leaf during subsequent handling thereof. The longitudinal sides of the slot converge toward each other at an angle corresponding to the taper of the leaf stem.

The length of the cut in the leaf may be varied and the cutter may be adjusted to different sizes of leaves; in fact, the leaf may be out throughout the length of the stem so as to remove all of the stem if desired. In each case, the drum and cutter will be automatically stopped by the control mechanism at a predetermined point with respect to the starting position and feeding point of the leaves. This stoppage is efiected by the engagement of the pin 61 with the plunger 75 from below which causes the lever 64 to be swung on its pivot 65 whereby the connecting rod 69 is raised and swings the bell crank lever 71 on its pivot so as to bring about an actuation of the lever 85 through the medium of the hook 73 which causes the clutch elements 86, 87 to be disengaged and the machine thus brought to a stop. In order to start the mechanism again the treadle 84 is depressed, thus exerting a pull on the link 83 and actuating the arm 82 and lever 78 whereby the plunger 75 is withdrawn from engagement with the pin 61 of the arm 60, after which the lever 64 drops back and through the medium of its connected and cooperating parts throws the clutch elements 86, 87 into operative engagement with each other whereby the machine is again started.

Figure 12 shows a leaf having a larger portion of the stern removed than the leaf shown in Figure 11. This adjustment can be readily made through rotation of the drum relatively to the shaft, and this can be easily and quickly accomplished by simply removing the pin 21 from one hole 22 in the cam 18, rotating the drum in the desired direction, and then inserting the pin 21 in another hole. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that this adjustment of the drum will move the terminal end and transverse knife edge 26 nearer to or farther from the feeding apron when the drum is in its normal rest position so that the knife edge 26 may either engage the leaf at different points in the length of the leaf or said knife edge may be disposed beyond the tip end of the leaf when the leaf is applied to the cutter so as to completely remove the stem from the leaf.

An arcuate stem guide 42 is mounted on the frame in concentric relation to the drum and in closely spaced relation to the knife edges 24, so as to prevent the stems from flying out of the groove 25 in a random manner.

For the purpose of removing the stems from said grooves quickly and at a convenient point, a stem ejector finger 43 is pivotally mounted at 44 on the frame at the side of the drum opposite the apron and is normally influenced into contact with the bottom of the groove (as shown in Figure 6) by a tension spring 45 one end of which is connected to the frame while the other end is connected to an arm 46 on the finger 43. With the finger in this position, it will be observed that the leading end of the leaf stem will be pried out of the groove and ride along the ejector finger 43 as shown in Figure 6, and a suitable receptacle or conveyor may be provided to receive the ejected stem.

To move and hold the finger out of contact with the cutter while the portion of the cutter carrying the groove 27 is passing the stem ejector, the cam 18 has a cam surface of its periphery normally engaged by a follower roller 48 mounted on an arm 49 which is rigidly connected to the same shaft 44 on which the ejector finger 43 is mounted, the cam surface having a portion 47 for actuating the finger into its inoperative position and another portion 47a of the cam permitting the finger to be moved into the cutter groove 25 by the spring 45.

It may be desirable in some cases to mount the presser roller 34 in such a way that it may rock relatively to the knife edges 24; and one construction to accomplish this result is shown in Figures 17 and 18. The presser roller 59 has trunnions 51 mounted in bearing bushings 52, the

inner surfaces of which are arcuate in cross section so that the trunnions may rock in said bushings relatively to each other. The bushings are slidably mounted in slots 53 in a yoke 54 and springs 55 are interposed between the upper ends of said slots and the bushings to yieldingly press the roller into horizontal position in its bearings. However, said springs will yield to permit one end of the roller to rise relative to the other end or to permit both ends of the roller to yield under irregularities in the surface of a tobacco leaf on the cutting edges.

It will thus be seen that my invention provides a simple, etficient and economical leaf stripping mechanism whereby the stem may be severed from the leaf along lines close and parallel to the sides of the stem, that is, along lines conforming to the taper of the stem, so as to effect a substantial reduction of waste leaf; and the stem may be cut transversely at various points intermediate its length, as desired and with a minimum of danger of the leaf becoming torn at the transverse cut. Furthermore, the invention provides simple and reliable means for ejecting the stems in a rapid and convenient manner with a minimum of possibility of interference with the operating parts of the machine.

While the invention has been shown as embodying certain structural details it should be understood that the construction of the machine may be widely varied within the scope of the invention and the stripping mechanism itself may be used independently of booking mechanism where desired and with other machines than the specific one illustrated and described.

What I claim is:

l. A tobacco leaf stripping machine including a cutter rotatable about an axis in one direction and having arcuate coaxial cutting edges spaced apart longitudinally of said axis with their corresponding ends juxtaposed, each edge to make a continuous cut at one side of a leaf stem, and a transverse arcuate cutting edge merging at each end into one of said peripheral cutting edges at one end thereof to cut a leaf stem transversely, means located at a predetermined point circumferentially of the cutter and cooperating with said cutting edges to cut a leaf during a portion of a revolution of the cutter in one direction, a booking drum section at each of opposite sides of said cutter, there being a groove between said peripheral cutting edges to receive a stem and said peripheral cutting edges extending only through a portion of the circumference of the drum and there being a second groove between said booking drum sections and extending peripherally from said arcuate cutting edge to provide clearance for the stems at the tip end portions of stripped leaves, a stem ejecting finger mounted at a point spaced from the periphery of the cutter and spaced from the last named means in the direction of rotation of the cutter, and means operable during rotation of said cutter for urging said finger into the first mentioned groove throughout the movement of said peripheral cutting edges past said finger and for actuating and holding said finger out of said second groove and into spaced relation to the periphery of said cutter and out of the path of movement of such tip end portions of stripped leaves during movement past said finger of the portions of the peripheries of the drum sections that carry said tip end portions of the stripped leaves.

2. A tobacco leaf stripping machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the last named means comprises a cam coaxial and rotatable with the cutter, a follower for said cam connected to said finger for actuating and holding the finger out of said second groove, and spring means for normally urging said ejecting finger into the first-mentioned groove.

3. A tobacco leaf stripping machine as defined in claim 1 with the addition of means operative to stop said cutter at a predetermined starting position and means for adjusting the operative relation of said arcuate cutting edge and said starting position to vary the positions of the transverse cut of the leaf stem longitudinally of the stem, the last-named means including a shaft on which said cutter is relatively rotatably mounted, a plate fast connected to said cutter and rotatable relatively to and coaxially with said shaft and having an arcuate series of holes, and a crank arm fast connected to the shaft and having a pin to be inserted selectively into any one of said holes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Tyberg July 24, 1900 Underwood Dec. 29, 1903 Deiller Feb. 27, 1906 Jackson Jan. 25, 1921 Hinchclifi Jan. 19, 1932 

